A New Grand Coalition for Germany – and Europe

With America AWOL and China ascendant, this is a critical time for Germany and the European Union to provide the world with vision, stability, and global leadership. And that imperative extends to Germany's Christian Democrats and Social Democrats.

NEW YORK – Friends of Germany and Europe around the world have been breathing a sigh of relief at the newfound willingness of Germany’s Christian Democrats and Social Democrats (SPD) to discuss reprising their grand coalition government. The world needs a strong and forward-looking Germany in a dynamic European Union. A new grand coalition working alongside French President Emmanuel Macron’s government would make that possible.

The SPD’s initial decision to go into opposition after its poor election result in September may have been sincere, and even strategically sound. But it is not timely. Diplomacy almost everywhere is fractured.

The United States is reckoning with a psychologically unstable president, a plutocratic cabinet, and a Republican congressional majority. Europe is in the throes of multiple economic, social, political, and institutional crises. China, by contrast, is dynamic and outward-looking – providing good reason for the EU to assume vigorous leadership and engage in constructive partnerships with China on key initiatives (such as sustainable infrastructure across Eurasia).

SERENDIPITYHope must win - JS has argued very very optimistically for Germany.Benevolent Hegemony, however, is not the same as altruism.So, only if it serves it's National Interests foremost, will Germany change.Merkel indeed changed Germany - The only Establishment that won since 2006.America Britain France - The Establishment has been thoroughly discredited.Once bitten twice shy.Trump and America will act in National Interests foremost.Britain after Brexit will act in National Interests foremost.France under Macron will alone of The Troika will act in European Interest.Should their National Interests appear aligned with International Interests.Serendipity is the word - and is always purely coincidental.

Whatever Government they form, if it is to be stable it needs to obtain the approval of the majority of the voters.There it may go wrong like it happens in many other EU countries.That is on the immigration and integration issue.Along the EU borders in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia huge populations explosing are taking place. Also frequently wars develop.This leads to a never ending mass immigration.People without education almost all from cultures which do not match with western culture.Many millions have already been admitted and live, not all over the EU, but in a dozen of the wealthiest states.This is problem that does not go away. Many people are concerned and worry about the future of their children. Also in Germany.However the Elite, politicians and press, hide in every corner they can find so as not be confronted with that major issue.They operate in the EU on outdated immigration laws written in 1951.At a time we only had an iron curtain in Eastern Europe and no population explosions.The author is absolutely right, we need a world vision and global leadership, definitely on this issue.However we have not seen much of that from the Grand Coalition or mrs. Merkel who has been 12 years in power.As far as the SPD goes. There is a comparable political party in neigbouring the Netherlands called PvdA. They refused to address the immigration issue and in the Parliamental Elections, April 2017, the number of their seats went down from 36 to 9.

Recommended reading: Douglas Murray, The strange death of Europe, 2017.

Many, if not most european voters think, rightly or wrongly, that the chinese can't innovate, for either genetic, epigenetic or cultural reasons or a mix of those and therefore aren't likely to turn China into a high income country. It is however quite a bet, that could be edged by a thorough rationalisation of the European Union's structure if recognized as essentially a bet by the voter base. While Jeffrey Sachs and the like fear a "totale Vernichtung" for the german car industry but hope for european technical supremacy, with chinese technology kept into ((())), many europeans are expecting an imminent "totale Vernichtung" crash of the Chinese economy, expectation recycled from year to year suggesting a misunderstanding of various fundamentals and a state of denial bordering on mindlessness.

Mr Sachs as said above, has a very sweet tooth. Of course Mr. Macron too, as his wished for solution to France's fiscal issues is to get Germany to guarantee French debt... and therefore carry on maintaining a huge Government sector, and social spending at an unsustainable level. Of course what is peculiar is that Mr. Sachs' work is on sustainability.... but perhaps he views the addition of the French "dog" and the German "cash cow" as a solution.... even if the cow might protest.

Mr Sachs is spot on -and what a refreshing development this would be. Notice, however that the UK is not even mentioned. Hopefully we too, will soon get our act together and end our obsession with nostalgia and consign our current government to a rather unpleasant historical footnote.

Mr. Sachs has a spare barrel of sugar sirup with which he sugarcoats Mrs. Merkel, the German coalition, and the impact on EU-27 and the world at large. With so much sugar sirup, the reality becomes invisible. Mr. Sachs is generally more intellectual.

Hopelessly optimistic. National politics is about looking after the national voting base and therefore national interest. The only chance is if the stars align and Germany's interest meet EU interests. That is not to criticise the Germans, the same applies elsewhere. German internationalism is currently hobbled. J M Keynes was sent by the British Government to beg a loan to fend off financial collapse after WW2. He was told no in no uncertain terms. The Marshall Plan did follow that rejection but only because of rising fear of the entirety of Europe going Commie. National politics is and forever more will be national, which is one of the major problems of the EU.

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